Certain risk
factors may predispose patients with Fuchs Dystrophy to greater severity of the
disease. Fuchs’ Dystrophy is a type of corneal disease that affects the inner
most layer of the cornea-the endothelium. Fuchs’ Dystrophy is slowly
progressive and can be found in both eyes and is slightly more common in women
than men. While it is possible to observe Fuchs’ Dystrophy in people in their
30’s and 40’s, it usually does not compromise vision until people are in their
50’s or 60’s. The endothelial cells are responsible for pumping water out of
the cornea and helping to maintain the corneal transparency. While the reason
is poorly understood, in Fuchs’ Dystrophy, the endothelial cells die, which
make the endothelium less efficient in its pumping activity. This results in
the cornea swelling and distorting vision.
Researchers
reporting in the journal Investigative
Ophthalmology and Visual Science studied the effects of smoking, and other
risk factors, on the development of advanced Fuchs' Endothelial Corneal
Dystrophy (FECD) and on central corneal thickness (CCT). As predicted, being
female increased the odds of developing advanced Fuchs' endothelial corneal
dystrophy (FECD) by 34% and smoking increased the odds by 30%. Besides
reporting that smoking was associated with an increased risk of developing
advanced FECD, diabetes was also associated with increased in corneal
thickness-reflecting greater risk of corneal swelling.
If
you or someone you know would like to learn more about Fuchs Dystrophy severity
& risk factors, please call The Eye Care & SurgeryCenter at 908-789-8999, visit The
Eye Care & Surgery Center
or facebook.com/eyecareandsurgerycenter to schedule an appointment.
With locations at 592 Springfield Avenue, Westfield, New Jersey 07090, 10 Mountain Boulevard, Warren, New Jersey 07059 and 517 Route One South, Suite 1100, Iselin, New Jersey 08830, The Eye Care &Surgery Center is a leading NJ eye care practice conveniently located for patients from throughout central and northern New Jersey.
With locations at 592 Springfield Avenue, Westfield, New Jersey 07090, 10 Mountain Boulevard, Warren, New Jersey 07059 and 517 Route One South, Suite 1100, Iselin, New Jersey 08830, The Eye Care &Surgery Center is a leading NJ eye care practice conveniently located for patients from throughout central and northern New Jersey.
